Collapsible structure such as pontoons and seaplane floats divisible into boats



July 16, 19292 N. sTRAUssLl-:R 1.720.701

COLLPSIBLE STRUCTURE SUCH AS PONTOONS AND sEAPLANE FLoATs, DIvIsIBLE INT0 oATs Original Filed June 7, 1926 Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS STRAUSSLER, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

COLLAPSIBLE STRUCTURE SUCH AS PON TOONS AND SEAPLAN E INTO BOATS.

Original application lediJune l7,1926, Serial No. 114,148, and in Great Britain. April 10, Divided and this application led March 24, 1927. Serial No.v 177,978.

This invention relates to collapsible structures such as pontoons and seaplane floats, divisible into boats, and the present application is a divisional application of my copending application Serial No. 114,148, filed June 7 1926.

An object of this invention is to provide a hollow structure capable of flotation and adapted to collapse so that it can be packed flat for storage or transport. `Another object of the invention isto enable such a structure when used as a seaplane float ior example to be collapsed after rising from the water so as to reduce the air resistance to theflight ofthe seaplane, and expanded before again alighting on the water. Another object of the invention is to construct the said hollow structure in such a manner that it can readily be divided into two boats as for example by cutting through the flexible part at which the fold or joint is located along which fold or joint the structure is adapted to be collapsed. l In order that the said invention may be a clearly understood and'readily carried into effect, the same will now be described more fully with reference toV the accompanying drawings or diagrams wherein Figure 1 represents in end elevation an expanded seaplane float v exempliying this invention. j

' Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same float collapsed.

, Figure 3 is a plan of the same float when collapsed.

Figure 4 is a perspective sectional view of the same float expanded.

Figure 5 is a central cross section on a larger scale of the same floatv collapsed.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of one of the joints in the float. f

Figure 7 is a `side elevation of one of a pair of boats produced by longitudinally d1- viding the float represented in Figures 1 to Figure 8 is a plan of a float of a modified shape. i

The float may be considered as consisting of two identical structures arranged face to face one over the other and flexibly secured to ether, these two structures being generally in icated by the letters A and B respectively in Figures 1, 3, and 't'. The upper structure A comprises an upper mainly horizontal panel or roof a', and folding side panels a?,

a3, the ,latter being represented aserect in Figures 1 and 4, and as laid horizontall under the panel a in Figure 5. The ower structure B comprises similar panels b', b2, bs.

The lower edge of the panel a2 is straight Y and is oined to the straight upper edge of the panel b2 by a lon itudinal external stri of flexible material secured over their a utting edges. The loweredge of the panel a3 is similarly joined to the upper edge ofthe panel b3. The folding panels are hinged or jointed tothe said upper and lower panels by flexible material D outside each joint and flexible material d inside eacli joint. y The panels which are continuous and substantia ly integral throughout their length without transverse joints consist of material which is approximately rigid or approximately rigidly framed but capable of bending as hereinafter described, as for example plywood, in which case rivets or other fastenings may be passed through the plywood at intervals to prevent the plies or laminations of the wood from splitting apart when being bent. Each panel is connected with the adjacent panels by a flexible and waterproof material such as waxed or rubber coated canvas or webbing, with or without the addition of hinges at intervals. The outer edge or' each horizontal panel which is jointed to an adjacent side panel comprises a curved portion coinciding exactly with a corresponding curved portion on the proximate edge of the said adjacent panel. Therefore although the panels a and a3, for example, can lie practically fiat against each other when folded, yet when pulled into such a position that their respective central parts are at right angles to each other, the downward curve of the extremity of the panel a corresponds with the adjacent inward curve of the extremity of the panel a3. At the same time the upward curve of the extremity of the Vlower panel b corresponds with the adjacent inward curve of the side panel b3. The panels in the oppositevhalves oi' the float being similarly shaped and jointed to each other, the front ends of all the six panels of the float in the modification illustrated in Figure 8 can l ymeet in a single point, while the rear ends of all the panels also can meet at a single point. Either Aor both ends of the panels a b may however be cut off on a line at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the structure so as to form a horizontal knife edge' as illustrated in Figures lll at the end ol' the float, in which case the pointed ends ot the side panels a2- 292 meet eachother but do not meet the pointed ends of the opposite pair of panels a3 3.

At' Veachnside Vof thefloat are secured leversl E torpressing in and'drawing out the panels a2, da, the movements of the upper part ot the float'thus causedbeing necessarily 'lollowed in counterpart by the lower part of the lloat. These levers are to be connected with suitable gear on the seaplane by means ot which all the said levers lcan be turned in unison Y through arcs of approximatelyy 90 degrees.

'Instead of the two halvesl A and B 0l the .structure `being Vvertically vsupeiposed as leversE would be connected to the two 'told ing panels'joining the two opposite curved upper edges of the two large panels, and the two lower folding panels would opeiiout in i unison with the upper folding panels by reason of the movements ot the large panels.

When assembling the parts ol' the float waterproof glue is injected between the strips ot webbing kor the like and the wood to which A they are attached, and the Vinner andouter i strips may be stitched together as indicated Vat F in Figure Gtlirough the small'spaces between the adjoining panels; the strips may also be secured'by tacks, rivets, or other suitable tastenings at intervals.

VVliere the panels are madeot plywood, they may be strengthened by inner or outer coatings of thingalvanized steel or other metal.V 1 A` large valve is preferably provided in the 'roof ol thetloat to permit thev rapid inward and outward passage ot air during changes in the conhguration ofV the float, this valve being of such a character as to prevent the entry 'of water into the float when the sea- 4plane is res'tii'ig or traiielling on water.'

y When it is desired to divide the lloat into two Jfolding boats, this can be done by cutting through the lleXible stripslC, (Figures l and 4)'so thatthe float-is transversely divided "and the panelV a forms the bottom of one boat,tlie panel Zi forming the bottom ol the other-boat. Il it'be desired to divide this float into two boats having longitudinally folding bottoms, it will lthen beV necessary to c'ut through the comparatively rigid'mate- 'rial along 'the major centre lines 'ol the lloor 'androon producing two boats laid on their sides taci-ng each other horizontally, in which when turned through SiO-degrees the boat bottomV isffconstituted by the panelswhich were previously the folding wall panels ofthe llo'at. Y

1 Although l---have' herein described andailifraofkoi lustrated theconstruction-ot only one example ot a collapsible floating structure adapted to enable the aforesaid objects of this invention to be obtained, it will be obvious that many variations of detail can readily be made therein without departing-from the principles ot this invention, the scope ot whichf is defined in the l'ollowingclaims What I lclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent'ot the United States is:-

l. A closed hollow 4structure adapted tor llotation'comprising two Vopposing main panels,V each edgeoli' each of'said panels having a straight portion'and'a curved portion, and tour longitudinally jointed half panels adapted to told withinA said main panels, the said hall panels each having one edge lying in a substantially horizontal plane Aflexibly connectedwithy the adjacent'half panel and its other edge comprising a straight portion and a curved portion and flexibly connectedwith the adjacent main panel.

'2. A closed hollow structure adapted for flotation comprising'mainly horizontal roof and' lloor panels with side panels adaptedto .told inwardly between said root and lloor panels, each of said panels being continuous and substantiallyv integral throughout its length, said structure consisting of material which Vis approximately rigid Vbut 'has suflicient flexibilitytobe bent into curveswhen so required. l

1A closed hollow structure'Y adapted for flotation comprising in combination' a roof ot semi-rigid material having a llat 'topped central" portion and integral downwardly curved ends, 'said roof having 'at each end curved outer edges, 'two upper side panels flexibly jointedto said 'roof Vand having c'or respondingly curved edges adjacent said root, `a floor ot semi-rigid material having curved outer edges, two lower side panels flexibly jointedto said floor'and having correspondingly curved edges adjacent said lo'or,and flexible means for securing together the upper and lower pairs of said panels.

4; A Vclo'sedhollow' 'structurev adapted for flotation'comprisingl incombination a roof panel," aV lfloor panel, two side walls each built up ot twopanels joined by'a strip `of'tlexible material, each 'ol said sixpai'i'els having a curved edge, the curved edges of the upper and lower wall panels corresponding with the curved edges of the root and ll'oor panels respectivelytowhioh they are jointed by strips oftfle'xible material. l

5. A collapsible closed hollow structure comprising in combination a mainlyrhorizontal root' curved downward at each end, a mainly horizontal'floor curved upwardl vat each "end, and longitudinally ldivided side walls cur-ved inward at each Tend to meet the edges of lthe said roof xand hoor, each member `l`of-said side walls being flexibly jointed to f the adjacent member thereof and also tlexibly ACR neeted to said roof and floor panels, each of said side panels eonsistin of upper and lower 10 halves flexibly connecte to each other, said structure being divisible into two separate boats by cutting through the flexible connections of the two halves of the side panels.

NICHOLAS STRAUSSLE-R. 

